Golf club’s demise delaying Tin Shed’s deck extension
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Loss of revenue and a shrinking membership at the Mossman Golf Club are factors impacting a delay in the deck extension at the Douglas Community & Sports Club Inc., or The Tin Shed.
Writing in the October newsletter, Tin Shed president Anthony Dickinson says: “It is indeed unfortunate to inform you that if we had not gone down the road of trying to assist the golf club at Mossman, our cash flow and bank balance would have suggested that our eagerly awaited deck extensions would have been a reality for a 2020 start.”
Besides the Mossman Golf Club, The Tin Shed’s other assets include the Bally Hooley Steam Trains, a ‘gift’ from Port Douglas identity John Morris. It is also considering leasing Choo Choo’s @ the Marina.
When the announcement was made to amalgamate with the Mossman Golf Club in 2017, Tin Shed general manager Kym Rowley said: “The amalgamation will allow for greater buying power; a larger membership base to promote and develop the golf club; and long-term security for the Mossman Golf Club.”
But the golf club’s losses are such that the proposed deck extension is “unlikely to see anything that resembles construction prior to early 2021”.
In reviewing the financial situation of the golf club, Dickinson says in his report that the committee has options to consider which will be part of the focus over the next few months.
“We have an approximate golf club membership of 150 and generating a loss of about $80,000 per year.
“Membership has decreased. Many long-time members have either not renewed, or joined Mirage Country Club, which offers a similar annual cost to our club when you factor in cart hire, for example.
“This is not sustainable and unfortunately no change can be expected as the income derived from the golf club is declining and cannot cover the existing expenses.
“The turnover from the golf club’s bar has dropped by 13.5 per cent or $36,903 from last year,” says Dickinson.
“But,” says Dickinson, “my assurance to all members is that this committee will never condone that our membership base of 4,000+ will be asked to subsidise a loss-making sub-club of 150 members.”